


Kiss Meme Collection

by jeannedarcprice



Series: Absolute Trust [9]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Boyfriend Yoga, Broken nose, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Gil's Scar, Guilt, Humour, Innuendo, Jokes, Kiss memes, Lies, M/M, Memories, Morning Routines, Romance, Teasing, Yoga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-06-23 00:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15594030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeannedarcprice/pseuds/jeannedarcprice
Summary: I did akiss memeart challenge, and thought it would be a nice idea to write a short scene to go with each one, as I was thinking of scenarios as I was drawing them.Here's the collection so far - I am still writing it so will update as and when I get them done!The Collection is now complete, 9 shorts in total. I hope you enjoy reading them!It was very interesting to explore my head canons in a compact way, establishing their relationship through comedy, fluff and a little heart-to-heart.





	1. Angel Kiss

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

Scott glanced over at the bed. He’d been sitting on the couch, contemplating the beautiful purple-green upper atmosphere of Voeld as the Tempest stood in steady orbit.

It was only early evening, but Gil was already fast asleep, breathing deeply, his wide chest gently lifting and falling at each sigh. Scott had dimmed the lights in the Pathfinder’s Quarters as soon as he’d staggered in, knowing that his lover would crash imminently.

Gil was an insomniac machine most of the time, forced awake by caffeine and his tenacity for the task at hand, his body denying him sleep even when he was at his lowest. Usually, he could find some measure of rest in Scott’s arms, but this evening he’d managed to find it within the sheets of the bed by himself.

Scott yawned and drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs before expelling the air silently into the darkened room. He put down his work and stood achingly slowly, stretching out the aches and pains from a hard day on the battlefield and hunched over paperwork. He closed in on the bed with heavy footsteps, undressing, betraying his own sudden drowsiness. Gil didn’t stir when he gently put his weight on the bed, and Scott knew all too well that he was dead to the world.

If he had even a glimmer of consciousness about him he would have noticed his lover leaning over him, his full, soft lips inching in to gently caress his eyelid with a tender kiss.

“Rest well...” those lips whispered, and Scott wandered back over to the couch to settle down to sleep himself.


	2. French Kiss

 

 

_“Somebody’s gotta make this place safe. We got children to raise.”_

_A_ _teasing_ _, cocky, confident voice. One he always found hard to resist._

_“Children plural, huh? Yeah, I guess we do, don’t we?”_

_He almost spluttered, giving him eyes, stepping in closer to stand by the man he loved._

_Those grey-blue eyes pierced his, and he took a half-step closer at their invite, watching till the last possible second as those beautiful eyelashes shrouded them. They kissed, gently at first, at the victory, the elation, that they were both alive somehow and would never be separated. Everyone else was lost beyond their senses, even as he heard the awkward scuffing of feet on the ground as they moved around them._

_Both men opened their mouths, and the kiss turned more passionate – blinding white light dancing behind their eyelids, the cool, wondrous breeze of Meridian playing across their skin, his smell – metal and ozone._

 

A smile formed on his lips, and the gentle shuffling in his arms brought him back to the room. He glanced down at the little brown-haired boy – every bit as much Scott’s as Meri was his own. The baby stirred, and he tickled his nose with a calloused fingertip.

“Don’t you know, Dian?” he whispered. “Your _other_ dad is the saviour of Heleus!”


	3. Neck Kiss

 

 

Gil drew up behind him, his body warmth and touch like white-hot fire. It had been so long since they had been together intimately, and Scott didn’t know how he was going to react.

“Scott, I’ve waited too long to be with you like this again…” Gil murmured, a barely audible whisper passing through his lips. Scott couldn’t bare it – even his whisper was like a forbidden touch to his sensitive skin.

He cupped his neck with that large, rough palm, almost wrenching Scott to his waiting lips. He kissed it, gently, breathing out in heated breaths against the long line of his neck. Scott gasped, a thousand desires blooming under his skin, the next firm kiss sending a jolt through his nervous system, his pulse quickening in reaction.

He couldn’t control himself, but instead of the instantaneous wakening of his biotic aura, it manifested slowly, sensually, matching those lips that gently wetted his scorching skin. Gil closed his eyes to that blue wash, feeling the tingling on his lips that caused his flesh to contract and send his hairs on end. His lips found that place that Scott loved, and he dared to bring his teeth and tongue to it, licking over it before clamping his jaw gently over it and sucking with his lips.

Scott cried out, and his biotic aura intensified, Gil knowing it well even with his eyes closed; wisps of intangible, unheated energy, a buzzing ringing in his ears, the smell of ozone…

Scott’s voice trembled under his touch, his breathing shallow and laboured as that mouth explored down towards his collar bone. Scott finally grasped at his husband’s hand, almost desperately, his begging lost to a series of sighing gasps. He bit his lip so hard it hurt.

“Don’t stop! Oh god, don’t stop. I love you so damn much….!”


	4. Stolen Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is rather heavy on my head canon - or how I played the game - Scott is now 100% committed to Gil.
> 
> This fic isn’t necessarily a predecessor to my smut-fest fic, [ _Kadara Sunrise_ ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13496712) (Rating: E) - but I’ll plug it here anyway.

 

 

 

Gil woke up in a cold sweat, the vision from his dream seared into his mind’s eye.

 _I'm going into that room, bottle in hand and there’s Scott, only he’s in the arms of that ass Reyes, though he’s not happy with it. And before we can both protest he’s planting a kiss on him, on_ my _boyfriend._

He quickly fingered at the space to his left, hearing Scott mumble before slapping his hand away. Scott shuffled onto his side in annoyance with a click of his tongue before he stopped making any noise at all.

Gil lay there, unable to compute that fear, staring blankly at the ceiling.

\--

“Scott. I need to ask you something. And I want you to tell me the truth – about Reyes.”

They were both on the top balcony, overlooking the port from their docking bay. The place was positively buzzing, all neon and perpetual sunset, the balloons floating high into the sky, matching the sharp slithers of mountain that pierced its heights, other docks reaching still higher.

Scott was taken aback by the suddenness of it. They had discussed this before – he thought it was behind them – but he realised that he’d been the one in the wrong, and that the sight of this place reminded Gil of it.

He glanced over at Gil, holding his gaze when he saw the pink hue of the sky reflected in his irises. He wasn’t annoyed that it was being brought up again – he knew that Gil’s concern was coming from experience. He felt terrible because of it.

“Okay...we flirted. It was mutual. Apart from that kiss at Sloane’s party it never went further. I’m ashamed of it...and you know how quickly I came running to you after that.”

Gil’s expression dropped at the memory of it – how they’d struggled in the first real test of their relationship. All because one man could be so suave and smooth and hold information back just to catch the attention of the Pathfinder.

“Liam saw what was happening and took me aside. Made me see what I couldn’t see. I owe him for that.”

Gil murmured something but took Scott’s hand regardless. It was warm to the touch, and Gil gently squeezed it.

“Thank you for being honest.” He sighed. “I hate this place...”

“Hey,” Scott said gently, flipping their hands so he could clasp his fingers with Gil’s. “Thank _you_ for forgiving me. For _trusting_ me. Sometimes I don’t think I’m worthy of you.” He watched as Gil’s face softened at the comment.

“Let me make it up to you! I’m off duty from tomorrow for two days, and I can authorise some down time for you. Let’s rent a room in Kadara Port and have some alone time. In fact, let’s have a date in _Tartaras_. Then you can show _everyone_ – including him – who I belong to!”

Those beautiful, sly eyes drew him in, reminding Gil why he loved this guy so much. He knew from that evening when he had come clean, argued, _begged_ and cried that he was earnest in his apology, and affection.

Gil stole a wet, heated kiss of his own.

“I like that idea very much, Mr. Pathfinder! I shall be sure to ply you with many Kadara Sunrises!”


	5. Cheek Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going in for the comedy now! Special thanks to [ sketchvicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sketchvicious/pseuds/sketchvicious/works), who helped me come up with these shenanigans!

 

 

“You asked me to tell you when your boyfriend was back on board!” Suvi’s voice came thick over the comms, matching the blinking lights of his omni-tool. Gil was taking stock in the cargo bay, and a smile crept on his face at his _girl’s_ compliance with his request.

“What’s his ETA?”

“The team’ll be back on board in the next five minutes. Want me to pass on a message?”

“Am I over the comms there on the bridge?”

“Why yes!”

Gil smirked again at the confirmation.

“Tell him to come down to the crew’s quarters, _after_ he’s rid himself of that pesky outer armour! The sweatier, the better!”

A huge, high-pitched whine pierced the conversation, and both Suvi and Gil laughed at it.

“Why do you subject me to this? Isn’t messing around with the Tempest enough of a high for you?” Kallo moaned.

“We’ll stop conspiring to annoy you on the bridge when you spill the beans on who you’re keen on back on the Nexus!” Suvi cut in, the patronising glare sent in his direction as sickly sweet as her bright pink lipstick. The salarian’s eyes widened even more at the comment – if salarian’s eyes could get wider. A feeble noise escaped his throat, somewhere between shock an exacerbation. Both of his assailants laughed again at him.

“He’s still not spilling,” Gil’s nasal voice filled the bridge. “So I still get to make requests of him. Kallo, think you can deliver the message for me instead?”

“ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT!” Kallo abruptly shouted. Suvi and Gil both took in an enthusiastic breath at the prospect of finally finding out his secret. “I’ll deliver the message to Ryder!”

Clearly, he’d rather suffer the humiliation of being Gil’s mouth piece than divulge that particular piece of information…

 

\--

Gil waited in the restroom for Scott to return. He felt the pressure in the Tempest change as the airlock activated, his impatience showing as he started pacing back and forth in the open door way.

“ _Kid!_ ” Drack’s rough drawl hit him from across the corridor. “Stop pacing. I know you’re probably planning on banging the boss as soon as he gets down here –”

Gil gave him a scowl that could kill.

“Don’t gimme them eyes, _kid_. Wha d’ya think I hear whilst sitting in this galley all the fuckin’ time? I may be old and full of bionic parts, but I still got my hearing!”

Gil decided that he didn’t really care about what Drack thought – if he knew the half of it (including that toy that he and Scott had), he’d probably keep his mouth shut. A series of laughs rang out as the doors to the bridge opened, and Gil looked up eagerly.

“ – the hell did he get Kallo to say _that_? Hey Gil!” Vetra called down below. “What do you and Suvi have on Kallo? I want in on it!” He grinned up at her as she, Peebee and Jaal crossed the gangway.

“Gil! I’m in my under armour. Now wha’dya want?”

Scott’s voice was the last to come through the doorway, thick with good humour entirely at Kallo’s expense. Gil quickly ducked around the corner so Scott couldn’t see him, and he absently started to descend the ladder on the left-hand-side. Drack’s throaty chuckle sounded as Gil sauntered out of the restroom and casually waited underneath Scott’s descending ass. Even in under armour it was quite a sight to behold, and Gil craned his neck upwards to meet it with a ‘cheeky’ kiss.

“Honestly, why do you have to telegraph how horny you are every time I get back on this – Huh? HEY!!” He turned around just in time to see what he suspected was happening, his boyfriend planting a huge, dorky kiss on his behind. His disgust at the immature show of affection distracted him so much that he lost his footing.

Drack thought he was going to die of laughter as he watched both of them tumble to the floor.

 

\--

Gil nursed his face by burying it inside the cold pack Lexi had given him.

“I didn’t think I’d get so much pain from Scott sitting on my face,” he snorted, causing Lexi to roll her eyes and Scott to shoot her an apologetic look.

“Didn’t think a nosebleed caused by Scott would be so painful either….” Gil added, another insufferable, deafening snort sounding from underneath the cold pack.

“Okay. That’s enough from you, _Brodie_!” Scott moaned.

“Ooh I’m in trouble now!” They couldn’t see his mouth, but they knew from his eyebrows that he was hiding a huge smirk on his face. “Maybe he’ll sit on my face again. Later. In private.”

They could still hear Drack laughing even through the partitions. Only now it had been joined by Vetra’s vibrating lilt and Liam’s goofy chuckle.

“Urgh!” Scott huffed, both exacerbated at his boyfriend’s childish behaviour, but also seeing the funny side to it too. He’d slipped almost at the last rung on the ladder and had fallen straight backwards, squarely sitting on Gil’s face as they crashed to the floor. In reality, he had zero sympathy on account of his boyfriend’s stupidity, but he’d probably still baby him this evening, and the jokes about his ‘firm butt’ were going to be killer for the next few days.

“Keep ice on that, Gil. And here are some pain killers. I set your nose with minimal fuss. No strenuous exercise,” she caught Gil trying to catch Scott’s eyes, “and don’t fiddle with it. Now I’m going to leave you two in here to talk this through.”

Her exit couldn’t have been timelier; as soon as the doors closed behind her Gil was laughing like an idiotic teenager.

“Honestly Gil. If you’re gonna be such an ass, you deserve all the pain you get from it.”

“As long as I’m being an ass for you, and you’re the one dishing out the pain, Scotty!”

A multitude of lines appeared on Scott’s brow. He tried to hold his annoyed expression for that little bit longer, but in the end it was as impossible as stopping the crap that came from his boyfriend’s mouth.

“I’m starting to think that the only way to make you shut up _is_ for me to smother you with my butt…”

“Yes, please!” Gil replied, all too eagerly, sending them both into a fit of giggles. “I’m holding you to that, but only once my nose is healed. And,” he held Scott’s fed up gaze, “let me kiss the other cheek before you do it!”


	6. Bunny Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who’s more adorable? [Baked Potato the space hamster](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13873971), or the Pathfinder in glasses? Well?

 

 

“You’re the most adorable critter I’ve met in Andromeda so far! Gil’s more handsome than adorable...”

Gil’s ears perked up as he heard Scott’s voice drifting up the walkway and into engineering. Sometimes the acoustics in this place we’re positively weird, but he wasn’t complaining this time, not when  he caught such a sweet, candid comment.

He assumed that whatever it was would be put back planet-side when they landed next, but that thought was dismissed when Cora accosted him as he walked past the bio-lab on his way back to the Pathfinder’s Quarters.

“Watch out, Gil. Scott’s got a new muse!”

Gil looked quizzically at her, and his face caused a smile to beam from her perfect lips.

“Yeh!” Liam added in that breathy, humorous voice of his. “I think you might have a contender for his affection!”

“He’s actually the same colour as you. As _hairy_ as you. But a little smaller,” she added teasingly.

She didn’t need to elaborate on the last comparison. He knew exactly what she was getting at. He frowned.

“I’m gonna forget that you’re comparing me to whatever Scott caught in that trap...shame you didn’t get to examine it in that lab of yours. He gonna give me a hard time?”

“Scott has been using the word ‘adorable’ a lot more often today!” Cora smiled and flicked her fringe to the side. “You should go check for yourself!”

\--

Gil casually wandered into Scott’s quarters, trying not to betray his growing curiosity. He quickly spied him lying on the bed, making silly clicking noises with his teeth. He dismissed it until he heard chirping in response.

“Okay, Scott. What was eating all the cereal?”

“This lil’ guy!” Scott shifted his weight onto his side, unveiling a small, tan coloured, furry bundle. It was fat looking, with huge puffy cheeks and ears impossibly big for its head. It scuttled forward and Scott placed an arm in front of it to stop its progress, but it defiantly ran over it, causing Gil to dive for it as he tracked its trajectory toward the end of the bed.

Scott was there before him, unceremoniously grabbing at the chirping rodent before quickly placing it back in the cage he’d caught it in. It circled a few times before settling down in the corner.

“You keeping it?”

“Sure! Can’t let him run around.  Drack was threatening to eat whatever was chowing down on the Blast’Os! I mean, look at him. Looks like a cross between a hamster and a rat. So _adorable_!”

Scott fingered at the glass separating them, and the rodent twitched his nose in the direction of the tapping.

“You know what, Scott?” Gil asked as he sat down and pulled Scott towards him, cupping his chin softly with his hand.

“Hmm?”

Gil gently tapped the glasses covering his eyes just as he’d done to the space hamster’s cage.

“I might be more _handsome_ , but you sure are the most _adorable_ thing I’ve seen in Andromeda. Did I ever tell you how much I love those glasses on you?”

“A recall a few occasions,” Scott teased, blinking his eyelashes for impact.

Gil warmed to it and brushed the tip of his nose over Scott’s. His boyfriend’s face immediately scrunched up and his mouth formed a wide, cute grin. Gil grinned back at him as they continued to swipe their noses together.

“Maybe that should be our new nicknames – _adorable_ and _handsome_!”


	7. Spider-man Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [jupiter23](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jupiter23/) for reminding me of Lexi here. All will (eventually) be revealed in part 2 of the [_Yoga Boyfriend_](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1075203) series – when I get round to it!

 

Scott stood on one leg, balanced perfectly, the arch of his right foot braced against his inner thigh. He took in a deep breath and his body relaxed with it.

“Dammit…”

He heard shuffling next to him, the sound of Gil trying to keep his balance, imagining him clenching his toes against the mat and wobbling left and right as he righted himself. He smiled.

“Make sure that foot’s against your calf or your thigh. Don’t put it against your knee.” He instructed.

“My balance is shot, Scotty…If I can just get the hang of staying upright first we’ll think about that other stuff later!”

“Step off the mat, it’ll be easier.”

He continued, calmly standing upright, hearing the clumsy bumps from the balls of Gil’s feet as he continued to waver even on the polished floorboards of the Pathfinder’s quarters. He finally stopped, and Scott allowed him to stand there in accomplishment for a while longer.

“Time’s up. Warrior pose!”

“About time,” came a grumble from his right.

They both squat wide, putting their weight on their right leg bent in front of them. Their arms reached skywards, and Scott took a candid glance, seeing Gil’s t-shirt suggestively lifting and showing off his firm, hairy navel.

“Transition to Warrior two.”

Both men swivelled their hips to the left, spreading their arms. Scott let out a satisfied breath, feeling graceful yet strong. He tensed his shoulders, flexed his muscles, receiving a snort from behind him.

“I’m enjoying the view from here!”

“I can positively _hear_ the huge grin on your face, Red!” Scott teased, squeezing his glutes more, feeling his thighs define as his muscles clenched tight. “You seeing that?”

“Oh, you know it, darling...”

Scott huffed at the affirmation, holding his breath and gripping onto the mat with his toes. He counted down in his head and breathed out again.

“Okay. Downward dog.” He heard Gil chuckle at the command. “Behave, you!” Scott hushed him, smiling as he bent forward at the waist. He could _feel_ Gil smiling and looking towards him as they held the position together. His hips opened, his lower back stretched, and he didn’t complain when he heard Gil moving, or when he felt him ride his hips up against his behind.

“I thought I told you to behave!” he moaned, not convincingly, feeling Gil grip at his waist and digging his hips forward further.

“Upward dog?” Gil suggested, and let Scott get onto his belly, watching as he curved his back upwards. Scott opened his eyes and looked straight at him, and he simply couldn’t resist, lowering his body onto the small of Scott’s back like he had all those months before. He tried not to put too much strain on that beautifully curved back, instead pushing his weight into his palms and knees as he dipped his lips towards Scott’s in an upside-down kiss.

The lovers stayed there, the room awash with the bright sunlight from the Nexus’ atmosphere. It warmed the backs of their legs, adding another element to the relaxing stretches.

“Technically this is a cobra pose now...” Scott murmured into his mouth as they finished, and Gil blew out a breath eagerly, sending a draft of air down his neck. He suggestively drove his hips into Scott’s behind again, and Scott bucked against him in protest.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” He chided. “Since when did we make time to do yoga in the morning together anyway? Well, when you’re not up at the crack of dawn...?”

“Since you decided that I needed to be more flexible!” Gil replied, standing up again and finally getting into the pose next to Scott.

“Only one of us needs the flexibility, really...” he whispered, and Gil sighed knowingly next to him.

“Doesn’t matter. I could get used to this...”

“But you get so easily distracted...I’m thinking that if I really want you to get flexible I should book some private yoga lessons for you with Lexi!”

“Oh!” Gil barked out a laugh. “She’ll just love that. Especially after your _incident_.”

The sound of their joint chuckle drifted through the room.

 


	8. Butterfly Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one thing that Gil _loves_ to tease Scott about is the truth behind how he got his scar. Scott may sound exacerbated by it, but he loves the lies Gil tells...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [ sketchvicious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sketchvicious/pseuds/sketchvicious/works) for coming up with some of Gil's colourful lies!

 

“So, tell me again, _Technical Officer Brodie_ , how did you get that scar?”

He cradled his brow into the other man’s chin, so close he could feel the prickly stubble dig into the delicate skin around his eye. He blinked several times involuntarily at the sensation, sending his eyelashes in a feather-light caress over the barely-there mark.

Gil drew in a deep breath that betrayed the fact that he was making up another story.

“I ran, at high speed, into a glass coffee table as a child,” he paused for dramatic effect. “The coffee table didn’t survive!” He was rewarded with a huff from Scott, and with the encouragement a stream of ridiculousness left his grinning lips.

“Fell over in a 1980s themed roller skating disco party!

“Tripped into a zoo enclosure and had to fight a _tiger_ with very sharp claws!”

A groan sounded next to him.

“I’m pretty sure they were extinct _before_ you were born…”

Gil paid no notice and carried on.

“Played dare with a hanar wielding multiple knives in its tentacles!" His voice had reached full momentum by this point, and he wrestled with the fit of giggles he was trying to supress. 

"Ooh! Got manhandled into the stasis pod.” Another chuckle. “Oh, oh! I know. Ignacious cornered me in a hangar bay before you even arrived in Andromeda and I had to defend my honour with a…toothpick I’d fashioned out of a piece of scrap metal.” An insufferable snort, and Scott dug his fist into his lap in protest.

 “Not funny…”

“Jill was threatening to get a sample of my DNA for her collection? Said she wanted to get my unique skin and hair colour into the Andromeda gene pool. I tried to dodge the needle, but as the scar attests, she got one anyway…”

“There are other, _more fun_ ways of getting that sample for Jill…” Scott chided with a suggestive sigh. He moved his head to the side and wetly kissed the unruly scar with his full lips before nuzzling Gil’s neck.

“Okay!” Gil said, excitedly. “Truth this time. I cut it on a sharp edge on the Pathfinder’s armour as I was undoing a clasp…with my mouth…”

“Much better,” Scott whispered, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. “That _would_ be a fun way to cut your chin...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gil has unveiled the actual truth in this drabble, [_Where did you get that Scar?_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13492185)


	9. Lady & the Tramp Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found it quite hard to come up with a scenario where this would actually happen, so let's have some teasing by the crew in the galley kitchen!
> 
> Read more about Baked Potato the Andromeda space hamster in [_Of Space Hamsters and Webbed Toes..._](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13873971)

 

Drack’s beady eyes beheld the small, delicious looking furry snack across the table. It was on days like these that he wished he’d never brought the stowaway to the Pathfinder’s attention. He much rather would’ve enjoyed a gulp full of protein in a forgotten corner of the ship.

Now he, and everyone else on the team for that matter, had to endure the ridiculousness that was the Pathfinder fussing over his new pet.

“ _Kid_ ,” he growled lowly, all those at the table looking up at the old krogan’s universal address. “You look as fed up as we all feel. Wait till you have kids!”

Gil’s face reddened at the comment, a slight tinge blushing his tan-coloured cheeks. He’d expected the krogan to sympathise with his desperate plight, instead he’d just made things ten times worse.

“Quit your teasing, Ol’Man!” Scott returned without looking at him, wholly distracted by the squirming, chattering rodent in his hands. He fed it a piece of cereal that had fallen onto the table, then let it roam to where it settled on his shoulder.

“It makes you look so _soft_!” Liam joked, passing a plateful of what looked like pasta onto the table. There was the sound of an omni-tool being activated and a giggle from Peebee across the table.

“Just imagine,” she threw her arms out dramatically. “HNS – ‘Breaking News: Pathfinder Adopts Local Animal, showing his soft side’!”

“Yeah! We’ve seen your soft side plenty. Think all those Kett, Roekaar and Outcasts would be as afraid of you if they could see you now with that _thing_ on your shoulder?” Liam added.

“Actually, this _thing_ has a name now. And it’s a _he_ , by the way.” He looked expectantly at Gil. “We called him ‘Baked Potato’.”

Scoffs and sniggers sounded from everyone around the table at the revelation.

“I actually think it's really cute! Definitely a scoop for HNS. Who came up with it?”

“Gil!” Scott replied brightly. “Though it was the nicer of _many_ names he had for him.” He smiled sweetly to the man on his left, watching as he squirmed through the annoyance and embarrassment.

“Boy, wait till you _do_ have kids! Wonder what their names’ll be if he’s in charge!”

Gil was definitely flushing at the krogan’s snide remark now, but it didn’t matter. Scott reassuringly and supportively pressed his calf to his under the table, and when the redhead looked to the side he saw a contented look on his face, the ‘Lil’ Bugger’ on his shoulder sniffing the air.

“They’ll have interesting names, no doubt!” Scott affirmed and beamed at everyone at the table.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> You can find my Gilder related art on my [Tumblr blog ](https://jeannedarcprice.tumblr.com/)


End file.
